I. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a process for powdering or grinding foodstuffs having a high fat content and to the free-flowing ground foods produced thereby.
II. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A variety of methods are known for drying foodstuffs to provide powdered, free-flowing forms thereof. Such methods often include addition of starch or other thickening agents; one method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,505 wherein the foodstuff is comminuted, blended with starch and drum dried. Problems are encountered, however, in powdering or grinding foodstuffs having high fat content, many of which are already in a dried form. Thus, when such dry fatty foods as almonds, peanuts, chocolate liquor, etc. are ground, they are reduced to a pasty consistency rather than to the desired powdered state. Furthermore, other fatty foods such as butter, vegetable oils, and other oil-like substances are difficult to obtain in a powdered or dried form. Heretofore, it has therefore been necessary, for example, to powder or grind such fatty foods cryogenically or to make a paste or emulsion of the food and then spray dry with an inert carrier.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for grinding dry fatty foods in solid form directly with no paste formation so as to produce a free-flowing powder.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for drying and powdering liquid fatty foods such as butterfat, vegetable oil and other oil-like substances.